Subscription Lists
God's Words For US
by Cecelia Lester
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. . . .” Matthew 5:8
Jesus commends those who seek a right relationship with Him. He tells those who listen that they will be blessed. What does a person who hungers and thirsts after righteousness look like? He or she isn’t satisfied with the things the world does. That person looks at the world through God’s eyes.
How does a believer look at suffering? One who has spent time with the Lord knows what God’s Word—the Bible—says. That believer spends time in prayer. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you maybe more mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4, NIV)
These believers choose not to do anything that puts Jesus in a bad light. They monitor their actions, thoughts, and deeds toward others. People who want to be in the center of God’s Will do not try to give excuses when they fall short of what He has for them. They know they will be judged by the Lord. They live for Him.
Even then, God’s people have times of trouble where they react to stimuli that causes their basic instincts to take over. They approach their Lord with sincerity and ask His forgiveness.
Do we have examples of people in our world who stand out as those who greatly desire righteousness? Yes, we do.Mother Teresa lived to serve God. She dedicated her life to serving Him by ministering to the poorest of the poor in Calcutta, India, “ guided in part by the ideals of Saint Francis of Assisi.”1Billy Graham has taken the Word of God to people around the world. He chooses what secular issues to comment on. “He has personal audience friend with many sitting presidents from Harry Truman to Barak Obama.”2
What does this mean to believers who live in the 21Century? Can we learn to live for Him? Shouldn’t we be stronger in our witness for God? Shouldn’t we work in our churches? Can’t we more closely study our Bibles individually as well as corporately? Can’t we conduct our lives according to what we read in God’s Word? We all need to seek God’s Will for our lives in order to assure ourselves that we do, truly, live for Him. When we live for Him, people we meet notice.
Our society’s need for God has become apparent to us who strive to live for Him. In the past few years, we have witnessed despicable deeds done to our fellow citizens.Events of the past few months and years highlight the decay of the nuclear family.God’s children need to put into practice His message, given through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We need to let the Sermon on the Mount, the parables; the words of the apostles guide us as we walk through our earthly home. We need to tell the Old Testament stories to our small children and our teens.
Dear Father God:
Please help us to display righteousness in our lives and in our world. Show us how to live so, on the day we meet You face to face, we can hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant. . . . Come and share your master’s happiness.” (Matthew 25:21) We give you all the praise. In the name of Jesus, we pray. AMEN
______________
1. Wikipedia.com
2. Wikipedia.com
Rate it:
Cecelia Lester has been serious about her writing for over two decades..
She composes Christian essays and posts them to her blog quietspirit-followingmyking.blogspot.com/
She has served in a faith-based organization, Grace In Action by writing two newsletters and searching for possible grants.
In July 2017, she published her first book, 'Times of Trouble Bring Rays of Joy.'
She and her husband of 54 years live in central Indiana. They have one grown son.
Receive the newest devotional each week in your inbox by joining the "God's Words For US" subscription list. Enter your email address below, click "Go!" and we will send you a confirmation email. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your addition to this list.